Dengue fever surges in central Philippines

Dengue fever has surged in the central Philippines, infecting more than 1,800 people and killing at least 10, a provincial official said yesterday.

The number of people struck down by the mosquito-borne disease in the central province of Iloilo this year is already 71 per cent higher than the same period last year, said provincial administrator Raul Banias.

Dengue fatalities in the first half of this year were already equal to the total deaths for last year, he said.

The latest outbreak in the province, 400 kilometres south of Manila, was alarming because it began before the start of the rainy season last month, when mosquitoes were less plentiful, he said. The outbreak might be a sign of the changing behaviour of mosquitoes and a result of people storing water improperly.

Dengue is spread by mosquitoes that breed in stagnant water and usually bite people during daytime.

"But the behaviour of the mosquitoes has changed. They are no longer biting only during the day. Even at night, they are biting," he said.